Mining excavators, such as mining shovels and draglines used in open pit mining, can be relatively difficult to operate. An operator can coordinate several of motions of a mining excavator (e.g., hoist, crowd, and swing motions) in performing a digging cycle. For example, to begin the digging cycle on a mining excavator, the operator can coordinate motions such as braking a hoist that is being lowered, accelerating a crowd motor that is moving in a forward direction, and/or braking a swing motor that is turning the mining excavator. Certain improvements to systems, devices, and/or methods regarding excavating can be used to improve operation of mining excavators.